Vocabulary learning
117 theses under this subject heading
The effectiveness of using morphological analysis as a vocabulary learning strategy
This study attempts to investigate the effectiveness of explicit instruction of morphological analysis on developing EFL high school learners' capacity to learn new vocabulary and the relationship between the morphological analysis and their learning styles. The study was a quasi-experimental research and a pre-posttest experimental and control group design was used. Prior to the implementation of the study, the participants (N=38) were administered Oxford's Quick Placement Test and Nation's Vocabulary Size Test in order to evaluate and compare their level of proficiency and readiness. To collect the data, Morphological Analysis Test was designed and implemented in order to test participants' existing morphological knowledge before the intervention and their acquired morphological knowledge at the end of the intervention. During the intervention, the experimental group was instructed fifteen prefixes and roots via morphological analysis while the control group only received a word list of the same target words and learned them through the traditional ways of vocabulary learning such as memorizing or using a dictionary. Following the instruction process, the experimental group was given a questionnaire about learning styles. Results revealed that the mean scores of the experimental group surpassed those of the control group in the post test condition. Thus, it can be suggested that morphological analysis is more effective in vocabulary learning than the memorization of the target words. According to the results of the questionnaire, experimental group has right-brain dominance and global learning style while morphological analysis is often related to analytical thinking and left-brain dominance. Considering all of these, this research study sheds light on the role of morphological analysis as an alternative vocabulary learning strategy in EFL high school curriculum.
The effect of task-induced involvement load on incidental vocabulary acquisition among ELT students
Vocabulary knowledge is at the heart of language learning as both comprehending and producing messages depend on knowing words. Second/foreign language learners need to acquire a great deal of vocabulary in a limited time to be successful in nearly all aspects of the target language Therefore, a large body of research has been devoted to investigating the best ways to help learners in their endeavour. In recent years, incidental acquisition of vocabulary has been found to be beneficial in expanding vocabulary knowledge. In this regard, how incidental vocabulary can be promoted is an intensely investigated subject. Incidental vocabulary acquisition through reading texts has been found to be facilitated by additional vocabulary tasks drawing the learners' attention to specific words. Therefore, designing the best vocabulary tasks has been an important issue for teachers. In order to address this concern, Laufer and Hulstijn (2001) proposed the Task-induced Involvement Load Hypothesis positing that the absence or presence of three components (evaluation, search and need) in a task determines the overall involvement load level induced by the task. Evaluation is related to learners' judgement on whether a specific word fits into a context. Search explains whether the meanings of words are searched by consulting dictionaries or other sources. Need is the motivational dimension of the construct and explains whether the drive to learn the word is extrinsically or intrinsically exposed. Using the framework of Laufer and Hulstijn (2001), this study aims to investigate the effect of four vocabulary tasks with varying distributions of evaluation, search and need components on incidental vocabulary gain and retention. The subjects were 139 first year ELT students from eight intact classes taking Academic Reading Course in the fall semester of 2015-2016. The subjects were assigned to four groups randomly: fill-in with glossary, fill-in by searching, retelling with glossary and retelling by searching. Two different texts were designed for four tasks. Each text contained 10 target words accompanied by reading comprehension questions. Prior to the implementation of the tasks, the participants' familiarity with the target words was tested through a pre-test which required providing the L1 equivalent or English explanations of the target words. The groups were to complete the reading comprehension tasks and the vocabulary tasks they were assigned to. The fill-in groups completed the gaps in the text with the target words, with or without glossary. The retelling groups wrote their own versions of the text by incorporating the target words, with or without glossary. Once the tasks were completed, the worksheets were collected and an unannounced post-test similar to the pre-test was administered. Similarly, two weeks later, an unannounced delayed post-test was conducted. For marking, each correct answer was counted as 1 and the incorrect ones as 0. Partially correct answers were awarded 0.5 point. The comparison of the groups on immediate and delayed post-tests using one-way ANOVAs showed that the tasks with higher level of involvement load yielded higher vocabulary gain and retention. However, the only significant differences were between retelling by searching and fill-in groups on the delayed post-test, which provided partial support for the Task-induced involvement load hypothesis. Keywords: incidental vocabulary acquisition, involvement load level, task-induced involvement load, vocabulary gain and retention, vocabulary tasks
Vocabulary learning through collocations and gamification in EFL classes
The use of technology and gamification tools have been in great use over a few decades in EFL classes, and their popularity has increased considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic period during which online education replaced face to face education completely or partially. Quizlet is one of the most popular applications used in EFL classes to teach vocabulary in a more effective and enjoyable way. Although there have been several studies conducted to seek the effectiveness of Quizlet among students learning English as a second language, there have been only a few studies carried out in Turkey at tertiary level to investigate the effectiveness of Quizlet in terms of vocabulary learning and retention, and also there have been very few studies which investigated the use of collocations on Quizlet both in terms of vocabulary learning and retention. The present study aims to investigate firstly, the effectiveness of Quizlet as well as the effectiveness of using collocations on Quizlet in comparison to traditional methods in terms of vocabulary learning, secondly the effectiveness of Quizlet and the use of collocations compared to traditional methods in terms of vocabulary retention, and finally the perception of the students regarding the use of Quizlet to study new vocabulary. In this study, 60 participants in three different groups studied the same target words over three weeks using different tools. Then, the results of pretest, posttest and delayed posttests of the participants were compared and also a semi-structured interview was conducted to learn about the perception of the participants concerning the use of Quizlet. The results of the study revealed that not only the use of Quizlet, but also the use of collocations contributed to both vocabulary learning and retention of the students significantly. The study also found that the participants regarded Quizlet as an effective, practical and enjoyable tool to study vocabulary. Keywords: collocations, gamification, Quizlet, vocabulary learning
Students' attitudes towards theatrical plays use and its effects on vocabulary learning
The subject of teaching English has been one of the important issues in many books, articles or opinion papers explaining the reasons for using literature in language classes. Literature is an authentic and motivational material which helps to the students? linguistic and personal development with cultural enrichment which is asserted by researchers. Although language teachers are aware of the benefits of using literature in theory, they don?t use it ?consciously? practically. For that reason, to ?re-highlight? literature use in language classrooms this study is conducted in 2010-2011 education year, at a private language school in Kütahya, by participation of 14 A2 level students. Data collection of the research is twofold; descriptive and experimental. The descriptive part is made of an attitude questionnaire towards the using of literature, namely drama, in language classrooms. The experimental part is conducted in a ten-week period and a vocabulary test is used for searching students? vocabulary learning levels. The findings which are obtained from the instruments, are analyzed by SPSS programme. To find out the attitudes of students towards literature specially theatrical plays Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test is carried out. To examine the different levels of vocabulary learning levels Mann-Whitney Rank Test is used. In all attitude questionnaires and vocabulary tests positive and significant results are found. Overall, students have positive attitudes towards the usage of literature ?theatrical plays- in language classrooms and using appropriate literary works help students to increase their vocabulary proficiency levels. Key words : Literature, Attitude, Theatrical Plays, Vocabulary Proficiency Level
Vocabulary learning strategies employed by preparatory class students at Adana Anatolian Teacher training high school
This study aims to identify vocabulary learning strategies which are known by preparatory class students attending Adana Anatolian Teacher Training High School. Moreover, the second purpose of this study is to observe to what extent students can employ the vocabulary learning strategies they are aware of. In this study, a VLS questionnaire prepared by Marin and think-aloud protocols were used with 90 participants from the preparatory classes of Anatolian Teacher Training High School. After the VLS was completed by the participants, ten students were selected by the researcher for think-aloud protocols. The data obtained from VLS questionnaire were analysed in five categories: determination strategies, social strategies, cognitive strategies, memory strategies and metacognitive strategies. The frequencies and percentages were computed and shown in tables. Then, the protocols of ten students were transcribed and strategies used by the participants were grouped in a taxonomy. The findings of this study indicate that the participants are not successful enough to employ the vocabulary learning strategies which they believe that they know. Key Words: Vocabulary Learning Strategies, Cognitive Strategies, Metacognitive Strategies, Social Strategies, Think-aloud
Çankırı Karatekin Üniversitesi öğrencilerinin İngilizce kelime öğrenme stratejilerinin incelenmesi
Araştırmanın amacı Çankırı Karatekin Üniversitesi birinci sınıf öğrencilerinin sahip olduğu değişkenlerin İngilizce kelime öğrenme stratejilerine etkilerini araştırmaktır. Çankırı Karatekin Üniversitesi öğrencileri ile yapılan kelime öğrenme stratejileri araştırması nicel araştırma yöntemleri içermektedir. Çalışma 2022-2023 yılı eğitim dönemi için, Çankırı Karatekin Üniversitesi birinci sınıf bölümlerinde eğitim gören 4104 öğrencinin 623'ünden ölçek ile toplanan verilerle İngilizce kelime öğrenme stratejileri kullanımları ile ilgili araştırmayı içermektedir. Çankırı Karatekin Üniversitesi birinci sınıf öğrencilerinin sahip olduğu değişkenlerin İngilizce kelime öğrenme stratejilerine etkileri nelerdir sorusuna cevap verilmiştir. Öğrencilerin cinsiyet, anne ve baba eğitim durumu, mezun oldukları lisenin türü ve lisenin bulunduğu bölge değişkenleri ele alınmıştır. Öğrencilerin İngilizce dil edinimlerinde kullandıkları kelime öğrenme stratejilerini belirlemek üzere "Kelime Öğrenme Stratejileri Kullanma Ölçeği" kullanılmıştır. Veri sonuçları ele alındığında; "Not Alma Stratejileri" ve "Tekrar Stratejileri" alt boyutları cinsiyet değişkenine göre anlamlı fark göstermektedir. Buna göre kadın katılımcılar erkek katılımcılara göre not alma ve tekrar stratejilerini daha fazla kullanmaktadır. Annesi lisansüstü eğitimi alan öğrencilerin ise yürütücü biliş ve örgütleme stratejilerini daha çok kullandığı sonucuna varılmaktadır. Öğrencilerin baba eğitim durumu ile ölçek toplamı düzeyleri arasında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir farklılık bulunmamaktadır. Mezun olunan okul türü değişkenine göre katılımcıların ortalama puanları incelendiğinde ise fen lisesi mezunu öğrencilerin diğer lise türlerinden mezun olan öğrencilere göre tekrar stratejilerini daha çok kullandığı sonucuna varılmıştır. Güneydoğu Anadolu bölgesinde bulunan bir liseden mezun olan öğrencilerin ortalama puanının diğer bölgelerde bulunan bir liseden mezun olan öğrencilerden daha yüksek olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır.
Okuma ediminde bağlam ipuçlarının sözcük edimine etkisi
Bu çalışma, okuma sırasında bağlam ipuçlarının doğal yolla sözcük edinimine etksini konu alır. Araştırmada öğrenicilerin sözvarhklanndaki değişim incelenmiştir. Doğal yolla sözcük ediniminin basamaklarını oluşturan okuma metinlerinde yer alan bilinmeyen sözcüklerin anlamlarının doğru tahmin edilmesi, doğru kullanılması ve anımsanması, okumadan önce ve sonra uygulanan ölçme araçlarıyla ölçülüp değerlendirilmiştir. Kuleli Askeri Lisesi Hazırlık Sımfi'mn ikinci döneminde okuyan ve belirli bir sözvarlığma sahip 14-15 yaş grubundaki 360 öğreniciden 86 öğrenici erek kitle olarak seçilmiştir. Bu doğal yolla sözcük edinimi araştırması için, kolay sözcük öğrenimine yol gösterecek bir kitapçık, 10 ön-test, 10 okuma metni ve 486 test maddesinden oluşan 60 art-test hazırlanmıştır.
Acquisition of English collocations by adult Turkish L2 learners
The main aim of this study is to pinpoint common mistakes Turkish adult advanced EFL learners commit in academic writing. The study was conducted to display these common errors with a focus on verb-noun collocations in order to determine the influence of L1 Turkish on these errors if any, and to identify possible problems involving either the verbal or nominal component of collocations. The study was conducted on ICLE-TRCU and all 177 essays were scanned and the errors identified were recorded into an error database. The data was then classified according to various criteria, and the resultant data was analysed normatively for felicity and grammatical accuracy. In the light of the observed patterns we have observed that learners have problems with semi-restricted collocations, occurrence, existence/relationship and aspectual verbs and their collocations, and as a result of semantic and discourse transfer they tend to have creative constructions, and redundant and sometimes infelicitous passives. Also, we have observed that L1 has significant effect on the construction of deviant collocations and that deviance occurs with the verbs rather than nominals.Key Words: Collocations, Second Language Acquisition, Error Analysis, L1 Influence, Collocational Errors
The relationship between vocabulary learning strategies and vocabulary size of Iraqi EFL learners in terms of receptive word knowledge
This study investigates the relationship between Iraqi EFL learners' vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) and vocabulary size (VS). Participants included 118 EFL learners at Sulaymaniyah University, all of whom were studying in the School of Basic-Education English Department. Two instruments were employed to collect data: a VLS questionnaire designed by Schmitt (1997) was administered in order to determine the range and frequency of VLS use, and a four-level (2000, 3000, 5000 and academic word list) vocabulary learning test (VLT) designed by Schmitt, et al. (2001) was used to measure learners' receptive vocabulary size. In terms of participants' VLS, results demonstrated that they utilize consolidation strategies such as studying the sound of the new word, trying to develop vocabulary knowledge by watching English TV channels, repeating the new word over and over and studying the spelling of the new word more frequently than discovery strategies such as identifying the part of speech of the new word to help learners know its meaning and using a monolingual dictionary. Moreover, these strategies were found to have been utilized most frequently by participants when compared with other types of strategies. In terms of total VLS, results indicated that Iraqi EFL learners employ a wide range of strategies; moreover, they can be considered as moderate VLS users (M= 3.003). The results of correlation revealed that there exist positive, negative and sometimes no relationships between the VLS utilized by Iraqi EFL learners and their vocabulary size. Finally, the findings of multiple regression analysis concluded that the value of R Square is (0.284). That is to say, the predicted variables were able to account for 28.4% of the variance participants' levels of receptive vocabulary size.
An analysis of the relationship among EFL learner autonomy, self-esteem, and choice of vocabulary learning strategi
This study seeks to determine whether any significant relationship exists among Iraqi EFL Learner Autonomy (LA), self-esteem (SE), and choice of vocabulary learning strategies (VLS) as well as whether LA and SE are predictors of these strategies. To achieve these aims, this study employed a descriptive research design. Participants included 157 male and female undergraduate EFL learners, all within the age range of 17 to 25 years. They were studying English within the sub-disciplines of English Literature, Linguistics, and General English at Soran University in Iraq. Participants were administered the following three types of questionnaires adapted by the researcher: a) a 30-item VLS questionnaire based on that of Schmitt taxonomy (1997); b) a 30-item LA questionnaire developed by Sakai, et al. (2008); c) and a 30-item SE questionnaire based on Coopersmith's SE inventory (1967). Upon conducting preliminary analyses of this study's assumptions, the characteristics of the data were proven legitimate via correlation and regression analyses. Correlation analysis demonstrated that a statistically significant relationship existed between EFL Learner Autonomy and VLS, with (r = .555, p < .05), and SE and VLS, with (r = .678 p < .05). Furthermore, regression analysis revealed LA and SE to be significant predictors of VLS. LA predicted 30.7% of scores in the choice of VLS (R = .555, R2 = .307), and SE predicted 45.9% of scores in the choice of VLS (R = .678, R2 = .456). These findings demonstrate that both LA and SE make strong contributions to VLS. The results also reveal the existence of a significant difference between EFL Learner Autonomy and SE in their prediction of VLS. LA and SE contribute to effective vocabulary acquisition, while they also contribute significantly to VLS. Finally, it was proven that the greater the learner autonomy and self-esteem among learners, the more frequent the VLS use. Keywords: EFL learners, autonomy, self-esteem, vocabulary learning strategies, academic achievement
Data-driven language learning: The use of concordance lines in vocabulary learning
The use of corpora for pedagogical purposes has drawn the interest recently especially with the introduction of Data Driven Learning, and the possible impact of the approach has started to be investigated. This corpus-based study aims explore the effectiveness of corpus use and concordance enriched instruction in the learning of vocabulary. The main purpose of the study was to explore the learning of target words of experimental group, who used hands-on concordancing and control group, who received traditional coursebook-based instruction. The productive use of vocabulary was also explored with writing tasks. Additionally, students' attitudes were also examined in the scope of this study. 58 students from Fırat University aged between 18-22 participated in the study. The study employed a mixed- method research design with which both the quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through vocabulary tests, writing tasks, student questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. The statistical analysis of vocabulary tests results revealed that the students who received Data-Driven instruction outperformed the students who received traditional instruction in both post-tests and delayed post-tests. The findings also indicated that the students in both group showed similar performances in the productive use of the vocabulary items. It was also found that the students held positive attitudes towards using concordancing to expand their vocabulary as well as develop other language skills. Keywords: Corpus-based instruction, data-driven learning (DDL), concordance lines, vocabulary learning, student attitudes
Web 2.0 araçlarının ortaokul beşinci sınıf öğrencilerinin kelime öğrenimine ve İngilizce dersine yönelik tutumlarına etkisi
Bu çalışmanın amacı, birer web 2.0 aracı olan Powtoon ve Kahoot uygulamalarının ortaokul beşinci sınıf öğrencilerinin İngilizce kelime bilgilerine ve derse yönelik tutumlarına etkisini belirlemektir. Araştırmada karma araştırma yöntemlerinden açımlayıcı sıralı desen kullanılmıştır. Çalışma 2021-2022 eğitim öğretim yılında Kırşehir merkez ilçesindeki bir ortaokulda öğrenim gören beşinci sınıf öğrencileri ile yürütülmüştür. Araştırmada veri toplama araçları olarak "Kelime bilgisi başarı testi", "İngilizce dersi tutum ölçeği" ve "yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu" kullanılmıştır. Araştırma öncesinde deney ve kontrol grubunu oluşturan öğrencilere araştırmacı tarafından geliştirilen kelime bilgisi başarı testi ve Baş (2012) tarafından geliştirilen İngilizce dersine yönelik tutum ölçeği ön test olarak uygulanmıştır. Ön test puanlarından elde edilen veriler deney ve kontrol grupları arasında hem kelime bilgisi hem de tutum düzeyleri açısından anlamlı bir farklılığın olmadığını göstermiştir. Sekiz haftalık deneysel süreç sonrası deney ve kontrol gruplarındaki öğrencilere kelime bilgisi başarı testi ve İngilizce dersine yönelik tutum ölçeği son test olarak uygulanmıştır. Ayrıca deney grubundaki öğrenciler ile yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler düzenlenmiş ve çalışma kapsamında kullanılan web 2.0 araçlarına ilişkin görüşleri incelenmiştir. Deneysel süreç sonrası deney ve kontrol gruplarındaki öğrencilerin hem kelime bilgisi başarı testinden ve hem de tutum ölçeğinden elde ettikleri son test puanları arasında deney grubu lehine anlamlı fark bulunmuştur. Araştırmadan elde edilen nicel veriler doğrultusunda, Powtoon ve Kahoot! web 2.0 araçlarıyla desteklenmiş kelime öğretiminin ortaokul beşinci sınıf öğrencilerinin kelime bilgileri ve İngilizce dersine yönelik tutum düzeylerini olumlu yönde etkilediği sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Araştırmadan elde edilen nitel veriler ise web 2.0 araçlarının ilgi ve dikkat çekici bir özelliklerinin olduğunu, İngilizce dersinde web 2.0 araçlarının kullanımının öğrencilerin derse karşı motivasyonlarını arttırdığını, eğlenceli bir öğrenme ortamı oluşturduğunu, sınıf içi iletişimi ve derse katılımı arttırdığını, öğrencilerin kalıcı öğrenmelerine yardımcı olduğunu ve bu doğrultuda öğrencilerin öğrenmelerine olumlu yönde katkı sağladığını göstermektedir.
The vocabulary learning strategies of high school efl learners
In all schools in Turkey, from primary school until university, English is a compulsory subject for students. Therefore, English is taught for at least two hours a week depending on the school or grade the students are studying at. In spite of this long language education period, the success in terms of being able to speak, write or understand the language is still insufficient to be accepted as an optimal level. In the last two decades, technology has improved, opportunities have increased but the success of learning a language efficiently has not reached to a high level correlatively. Since vocabulary is a generally accepted important aspect of learning a language, the purpose of this study was to investigate the vocabulary learning strategies adopted by 9th grade students, to find which vocabulary learning strategies they used mostly and which ones they used the least. Another purpose of this study was to find whether there were any differences between male and female learners in terms of using these strategies. In the light of these aims, 172 9th grade students took part in this study and they were asked to fill in a questionnaire of 25 vocabulary learning strategy items. Also, a semi-structured interview with ten students was held. After the data was collected, an analysis was made by using frequency, percentages, and means. As a result of the data analysis, it has been found that the mostly used strategies by the students are Social (Discovery) Strategy and Determination Strategy. The least used strategies are Social (Consolidation) Strategy and Metacognitive Strategy. In terms of gender, there was generally no significant difference of strategy use between female and male students. However, when the strategy items are looked into individually, there are some slight differences. It is expected that the findings of this study will contribute the teachers in terms of improving themselves and their students about the instruction of VLSs and by taking the results of this study into account, it will also help the teachers to select more appropriate course books and materials related with the strategy use of their students.
Perceptions of 8th graders and EFL teachers concerning L2 vocabulary learning strategies
Although vocabulary is an indispensable part of foreign language learning and it is acknowledged that it is of paramount importance in language learning and teaching, it is still learnt and taught by some traditional vocabulary learning strategies. As the learning process requires not only learners' but also teachers' efforts , the current study gathered both of their perceptions about vocabulary learning strategies under a single roof. Hence, it aimed to investigate and compare the perceptions of teachers and learners regarding the importance and application of vocabulary learning strategies. In this study, mixed methods sequential explanatory design was applied . The research group consisted of 398 8th grade EFL students and 26 EFL teachers from 15 different secondary schools in Hatay. In order to collect quantitative data, student and teacher version of VLS questionnaires which were based on Schmitt's taxonomy of VLS were conducted at first. Then, semi-structured interviews with 9 volunteer teachers and focus group interviews with 45 volunteer student participants were carried out in order to obtain qualitative data. The quantitative data were analysed via Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) edition 22. In order to anlayse and interpret the qualitative data, thematic analysis was utilized. The findings of this study revealed that EFL learners and teachers attribute a great level of importance to vocabulary learning and teaching. As for application of those strategies, it was found out that the strategies that are given most importance were applied on a larger scale by learners. However, teachers seems to have difficulty in implemeting the strategies that they consider more important. Some factors such as intensity of the curriculum, the course book that insufficient in meeting the needs, exam-oriented instruction to 8th graders, limited weekly course hours, lack of equipments and indifferent learners to learning were determined to restrain teachers to instruct different kinds of VLS. Furthermore, the strategies instructed by teachers were found to be utilized widely by their students. Keywords: Vocabulary learning, vocabulary learning and teaching strategies, strategy instruction, learner and teacher perceptions
Die wortschatzerweiterung der Deutschlehramtsstudierenden durch die explizite vermittlung der wortbildungsmöglichkeiten im textuellen zusammenhang
The main aim of the present dissertation thesis, which consists of two main sections as theoretical and empirical parts, is to expand the vocabulary knowledge of the student teachers studying German Language by teaching explicitly the word building products in the textual contexts. In the theoretical part of this dissertation, word formation was handled from a didactic and linguistic point of view. From a language didactic point of view, we mentioned the vocabulary teaching and vocabulary learning strategies in foreign language classroom were mentioned. On the other hand, from a linguistic point of view, a brief overview of the historical view of the German word formation system was dealt. In addition to that, the main types of word formation, namely, compounds, derivation, and conversion, were briefly focused from morphological, semantic, and syntactic points of view. As for the practical part, a need analysis in the reading and vocabulary learning areas that build the basis of this thesis was conducted. For this purpose, various questionnaires and success tests to find out the areas of learning problems were carried out. Based on the outcomes drawn from this need analysis, a lesson model in which the participants could cope with German texts through the use of foreign language reading strategies and they could expand and consolidate their vocabulary through the instruction and analysis of the word formations in texts was developed. For this quasi-experimental study, the participants were divided into two groups as experimental and control groups. After conducting this empirical study, two different word-building knowledge tests were conducted for the participants of both groups. The findings showed that the learners in the experimental group got higher points than the participants in the control group. With respect to these results, in favor of the experimental group a significant difference (t = -12.34; p < 0.05) was noted between two groups. In addition to these success tests, in this study the various data collection tools such as semi-structured interview, reflection papers, product-oriented tasks were also used. The qualitative as well as the quantitative data showed that this teaching model made an important contribution to the vocabulary expansion and reading comprehension of the learners.
The effects of teaching vocabulary related to architecture through word roots strategy at higher education level
The vocabulary learning process is seen as difficult and time consuming part of language learning. One of the factors that makes it difficult for students to learn English for specific purpose (ESP) words is that the words used in ESP are specific to a particular discipline and rarely used in general English. There are different learning strategies used by ESP learners for memorizing and retention of words. Although dissecting words into their roots and suffixes is among these strategies, it has not received enough attention in ESP vocabulary teaching. There are also few studies focusing on the benefits of teaching vocabulary roots. These few studies underline the efficiency of vocabulary learning/teaching with roots. However, the impact of the word root strategy on the teaching of ESP words and its ability to predict the meaning of unknown words has not been emphasized. The aim of this study is to show the effect of the word roots training on predicting the meaning of unknown ESP words correctly and the retention of these words. The experimental approach was adopted throughout the study. Two groups of students studying in the same department of a state university participated in the present study. Each group was composed of 30 students. A pre-test was applied to both control and experimental groups at the beginning of the study to see the word knowledge the homogeneity of the groups. As it is hard to decide which words are ESP words, the words in all tests applied in this study were selected from a corpus of 505,649 words related to Architecture. After the pre-test, the words were taught to the treatment group through word root training while the control group learnt these words through dictionary usage. Ten weeks later, a post-test was performed to observe the effect of this method on vocabulary retention. A week later, a delayed post-test was also conducted to measure the students' competence of predicting the meaning of the ESP words they had never seen before. For triangulation, in addition to pre-test, post-test and delayed post-test, students were asked to keep a diary and they were also interviewed. The tests' scores were analyzed via SPSS 23 and thematic analysis was used for the analysis of the qualitative data. The results of the tests applied, the answers of the participants given in the interviews and the extracts from the diaries the participants kept all showed that word root strategy is an effective and welcomed tool for learning new English words. Key Words: Teaching with word roots, discipline-specific English words, vocabulary learning strategies
Effects of (V-CASTS) on EFL vocabulary expansion of Turkish high school students in writing
With the onset of the integration of the digital world's speed and content into education, web-based courses were launched into pedagogics. In the digital century, as we are going through, learners are exposed to their target language on various platforms through their daily lives. English language learners are expected to utilize several tools in learning with the object of improving a certain skill in their foreign languages. The main purpose of this study is to investigate whether and how viewing v-casts (short videos) influences the 9th grade EFL learners' written performances regarding vocabulary enhancement in English. The v-cast preferences of learners' and the views of EFL teachers on the use of v-casts with high school students in a Turkish ELT environment were additionally in the scope of the study. The participants of the study were 51 high school students of 9th grade in Hatay, Turkey. We searched for any differences and/or improvements in the participants' written performances regarding vocabulary learning proceeding the continual implementation of v-cast viewing activities. The study followed a mixed-method research design. The participants watched v-casts during their English courses and as extramural work. Pre and post-viewing written performances of the participants as well as semi-structured interviews and reflections reports were analyzed based on four titles; usage of affixation, the usage of content words based on CEFR, topic-based lexicon usage and the analysis of word count. The findings demonstrate that 9th-grade high school students formed a wider reservoir of vocabulary after the regular practice of v-cast watching activities and that they manage to use it in their written scripts. This study presents considerable implications for the teachers who prefer integrating v-casts into the training of writing skills in EFL. Since v-casts are downloadable and do not require advanced ICT skills or a permanent internet connection to display, they become easily accessible for the learners as well as the teachers. Keywords: ELT, short videos (v-casts), vocabulary enhancement, written performance, listening and viewing skills, digital classroom
Gehirngerechte didaktisierung des wortschatzes im DaF-Unterricht
Die deutsche Sprache wird schon seit langen Jahren als zweite Fremdsprache in unserem Land übermittelt. Jedoch sind die Lerner trotz des intensiven Fremdsprachennterrichts meist nicht in der Lage, die deutsche Sprache fließend und willkürlich zu verwenden. Untersuchungen belegen, dass dies meist an einem funktionalen Fremdsprachenwortschatzmangel liegt bzw. daran scheitert, den vorhandenen Fremdsprachenwortschatz autonom wiederzugeben. Daher ist es äußerst wichtig, in einem Fremdsprachenunterricht die Wortschatzerweiterung nicht anhand einzelner Wörter zu übermitteln, sondern anhand interlingualer Vernetzungen wie Mehrworteinheiten. Denn die semantische Funktion und Struktur der Wörter ist interdependent, verleiht sich gegenseitig Bedeutungen und wird neurowissenschaftlich betrachtet im mentalen Netzwerksystem dementsprechend abgespeichert. Anschließend bilden die Mehrworteinheiten 70% der funktionalen Sprache. Daher ist es von Bedeutung, die Mehrworteinheiten transparent in den Unterricht einzubeziehen. Denn auch wenn Kollokationen in der eigenen Muttersprache unauffällig erscheinen, bilden sie in einem Fremdsprachenerwerb Erschwernisse während des Verstehens- und des Selbstäußerungsprozesses. Zweck dieser Arbeit ist es, im Rahmen eines DaF-Unterrichts eine gehirngerechte Lehrtheorie vorzuschlagen. In dem das Augenmerk auf die Gehirnforschungen, auf die Pädagogik, auf die Fremdsprachenwortschatzerweiterung und auf den Stellenwert der Kollokationen in der Fremdsprache gelegt wird. In dem versucht wird den Lernern ein funktionales Sprachbewusstsein anhand der Kollokationskompetenz anzueignen. Denn bisher wurde in der Fremdsprachenwortschatzerweiterung den Kollokationen nicht die nötige Wertschätzung übergeben.
The relationship between vocabulary learning strategies and vocabulary proficiency
Vocabulary knowledge and the variables which are related to this knowledge have been the focus of many studies in foreign languages teaching field. Among these variables Vocabulary Learning Strategies (VLS) have been attached great importance by the researchers. The current study was carried out to examine L2 learners? VLS use habits and the relationship of VLS with their vocabulary proficiency levels. In addition, language learners? beliefs about VLS in terms of usefulness were also studied to understand L2 learners? VLS use habits more deeply. To examine these matters, a descriptive research design was employed. The participants included 252 preparatory students from different proficiency groups (Upper-Intermediate, Intermediate, Pre-Intermediate, Beginner) at Gaziantep University Higher School of Foreign Languages. To collect the related data, they were given ?Vocabulary Learning Strategies Questionnaire? and ?Vocabulary Levels Test?.The data analyses were conducted by descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of the study showed that the participants used a wide range of VLS, and there was an overlap between their beliefs about VLS in terms of usefulness and how often they used them to a large extent. Secondly, Memory Strategies correlated positively with the participants? academic and general vocabulary proficiency levels. When the correlation tests were run for each proficiency group, it was seen that Metacognitive Strategies correlated positively with the vocabulary proficiency levels of the different proficiency groups. However, there were also some differences among the proficiency groups with regards which VLS correlated with their vocabulary proficiency levels. As to the regression analysis results, none of the VLS predicted participants? vocabulary proficiency levels.
An investigation into the effects of creative drama activities on young learners' vocabulary acquisition: A case study
The primary concern of this study was to investigate the effects of creative drama activities on young learners? vocabulary acquisition. The current study was conducted on 78 seventh grade students at 30 Ağustos Primary School in Gaziantep. The participants consisted of two groups, treatment and control group. A variety of creative drama activities were administered to the treatment group for a duration of eight weeks. At the end of treatment period, both groups were administered a vocabulary achievement examination as a posttest as well as Gardner?s Attitude-Motivation Test Battery. Students? self-related and lesson-related feelings concerning creative drama classes were measured through an evaluation checklist immediately following each drama module.As a result of the quantitative analyses, it was found that creative drama activities had a significant effect on enhancing vocabulary acquisition of young learners in the treatment group. Students? responses to the checklists were supportive of creative drama lessons as the subjects found these lessons entertaining and educative. It was also discovered that students? motivation had a predictive effect on subjects? vocabulary examination scores. The results revealed that gender played a distinguishing role where females displayed higher success on the vocabulary measures than males while males in the treatment group made greater vocabulary gains compared to the males in the control group. Moreover, our results indicated that the treatment group students who achieved higher vocabulary scores also received higher grades from their English Course at the end of the term. In sum, our findings suggest that vocabulary attainment levels were superior when students are exposed to new vocabulary items by means of creative drama activities. The pedagogical implications of this study for primary school English classes are discussed and recommendations are made for further study in view of the findings.
The effects of strategy training on learners' vocabulary development
Vocabulary knowledge is one of the most important factors that affect the language learning process. However, it is a problem for learners to learn vocabulary due to the lack of vocabulary learning strategies. The purpose of this study was to determine whether teaching learners vocabulary learning strategies explicitly helps them improve their vocabulary knowledge. The present study was carried out during the first term of the 2008-2009 academic year at University of Gaziantep, Higher School of Foreign Languages. One hundred Level B (pre-intermediate) preparatory class students, who were chosen randomly, participated in the study. First, a pilot study was conducted and reliability of the questionnaire was calculated as .81 while it was .79 for the proficiency test. The control and the experimental group were administered the pre-questionnaire and pre-proficiency test before the treatment started. The analysis of the data obtained from those suggested that two groups do not have a statistical difference in terms of vocabulary proficiency (p = .407) and percentage of using vocabulary learning strategies. The treatment took eight weeks during when the subjects in the experimental group had lessons two-hour a week about vocabulary learning strategies and had opportunity to use these strategies doing activities. The subjects were given the post-questionnaire and the post-proficiency test after the treatment. The results suggested that the groups had a statistical difference in terms of vocabulary proficiency (p = .023). The analysis of the data revealed that teaching vocabulary learning strategies explicitly helps learners adopt more strategies, which leads vocabulary development. The experimental group was observed to use more vocabulary learning strategies after the treatment and while there was no statistical difference between the control and the experimental groups in terms of proficiency before the treatment, the subjects in the experimental group improved their vocabulary knowledge much more than the control group.Key Words: Vocabulary learning strategies, Strategy instruction
Sekizinci sınıf öğrencilerinin İngilizce ders kitaplarındaki kelimelere sahip oluş düzeylerinin incelenmesi
Bu çalışmanın amacı ilköğretim sekizinci sınıfta öğrenim gören öğrencilerin 6. , 7. ve 8. sınıfta Milli Eğitim Bakanlığı tarafından verilen İngilizce ders kitaplarındaki kazanım kelimelerine sahip oluş düzeylerini incelemektir. Araştırmada konuyla ilgili yurt içi ve yurt dışı literatür taranarak yabancı dil öğretiminin önemi, Türkiye'deki yabancı dil eğitim durumu ve başarısı, yabancı dil başarısını etkileyen faktörlerin etkisi ayrı ayrı incelenmiştir. Yabancı dil başarısını etkileyen faktörler arasından kelime bilgisi, cinsiyet ve tutum araştırılmıştır. Araştırmanın evrenini 2014 - 2015 eğitim öğretim yılı Düzce il merkezindeki 22 devlet ortaokulunda öğrenim görmekte olan 2396 sekizinci sınıf öğrencisi oluşturmaktadır. Evrendeki öğrenciler listelenmiş ve örneklem seçiminde en güvenilir yöntem olan "basit seçkisiz örnekleme yöntemi" kullanılmıştır. Kura yöntemiyle 22 okuldan 119 erkek 217 kız toplamda 336 öğrenci seçilmiştir. MEB tarafından verilen İngilizce ders kitapları içerisindeki kazanım kelimeleri çıkarılmış, bu kelimeler New General Service List ile karşılaştırılmış, ilk 1000'de yer alan kelimeler seçilmiş, bu kelimelerden 60 soruluk bir soru havuzu oluşturulmuştur. Geliştirilen başarı testinin analizleri yapılmış, madde güçlük ve ayırt edicilik durumlarına göre uygun olanlar seçilerek 40 soruluk bir başarı testi hazırlanmıştır. Örnekleme alınan öğrencilere araştırmacı tarafından geliştirilen İngilizce Başarı Testi ve 27 maddelik Likert tipi 5'li İngilizce Tutum Ölçeği araştırmacının kendisi tarafından uygulanmıştır. Uygulama sonucunda elde edilen verilerin analizi için istatistik paket programı kullanılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda öğrencilerin orta düzeyde İngilizce başarısına ve İngilizceye yönelik tutuma sahip olduğu, cinsiyete göre İngilizceye yönelik tutum ve İngilizce ders başarısında anlamlı farklılık olduğu, bu farkın kız öğrencilerin lehine olduğu bulunmuştur. Ayrıca İngilizce tutum ve İngilizce başarısı arasında pozitif yönde anlamlı bir korelasyonun (rho = 0,469, p<0.01) olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Anahtar Kelimeler: İngilizce, yabancı dil eğitimi, akademik başarı, yaş, cinsiyet, tutum, kelime bilgisi.
The effect of using contextual vocabulary learning strategies on developing productive vocabulary knowledge of university preparatory class students
The aim of this present study is to investigate the effect of using contextual vocabulary learning strategies such as guessing or inferring technique on developing active, productive, vocabulary knowledge. It aims to focus on whether guessing technique to learn new vocabulary items is helpful to use them actively in writing, as well as recognizing when encountered in a text.This study was applied with 40 pre-intermediate level students; 20 for experimental, and 20 for control group; who were at preparatory class at a state university to learn English as a foreign language. Descriptive statistical values were interpreted and a t-test was applied in order to see whether there was significant difference between the experimental and the control group.In this study, 4 reading texts were chosen in the coursebook and the students in the experimental group were encouraged to guess the meaning of unknown words by referring to certain clues in the text after the training sessions about contextual vocabulary learning strategies. However, the ones in the control group learnt the words with other traditional techniques such as memorizing or listing. At the end of each reading texts, the students were asked to write a short text with a parallel topic as a post-reading activity. The writings of the students were analyzed to see whether they used the newly-learnt words or not.According to the analysis of the results, the students who learnt new vocabulary items with contextual vocabulary learning strategies are more able to remember and produce them actively in a written context. However, if they consult to traditional techniques such as listing the words with their first language definitions and memorizing, they become less successful while using the same words. Key Words: Language teaching, vocabulary learning strategies, guessing technique, productive vocabulary, active words
Öğrenci yanıt sistemlerinden Kahoot!'un üniversite öğrencilerinin İngilizce kelime öğrenme başarıları ve tutumları üzerindeki etkisi
Bu araştırmanın amacı, öğrenci yanıt sistemlerinden Kahoot!'un üniversite öğrencilerinin İngilizce kelimeleri öğrenme düzeylerine ve İngilizce öğrenmeye yönelik tutumlarına etkisi ile Kahoot!'a yönelik görüşlerinin belirlenmesidir. Çalışma üniversite öğrencileriyle gerçekleştirilmiş ve öğrencilerin kelimeleri öğrenme düzeyleri değerlendirilmiştir. Araştırmaya deney(36) ve kontrol(25) grubu öğrencilerinden oluşan toplamda 61 öğrenci katılmıştır. Öğrencilerin kelime başarılarını ölçmek için pilot uygulamadan geçirilmiş bir test hazırlanmıştır. Hazırlanan test deney ve kontrol grubu öğrencilerine ön test olarak uygulanmış ve iki grubun kelime başarılarının birbirine denk olduğu görülmüştür. Ön test ile birlikte Aydoslu (2005) tarafından hazırlanan İngilizce dersine yönelik tutum ölçeği uygulanmıştır. Uygulama sürecinde deney grubunda derslerin kitaptan işlenmesine ek olarak altı hafta Kahoot! kelime quizleri uygulanmış ve kontrol grubunda dersler normal seyrinde yürütülmüştür. Uygulama bittikten sonra hazırlanan başarı testi ve aynı tutum ölçeği son test olarak iki gruptaki öğrencilere uygulanmıştır. Son test uygulandıktan sonra deney grubu öğrencilerinden gönüllü olan 12 öğrenci ile sürece yönelik görüşlerini öğrenmek amacıyla açık uçlu sorulardan oluşan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmeler yapılmıştır. Başarı testinin ve tutum ölçeğinin sonuçları istatistik paket programı kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Görüşmeler içerik analizi ile değerlendirilmiştir. Bu yüzden araştırma, nicel ve nitel yöntemlerin bir arada kullanıldığı karma desende yürütülmüştür. Araştırmanın sonuçlarına göre İngilizce kelime öğretiminde Kahoot!'un kullanılmasının öğrencilerin başarısına çok az katkı sağladığı görülmüştür. Ancak görüşme sonuçlarına göre öğrencilerin Kahoot!'un İngilizce derslerinde kullanılmasına yönelik olumlu görüşlere sahip olduğu ve kullanılmasını destekledikleri ortaya çıkmıştır. Ayrıca İngilizce kelime öğrenmede akılda tutma sorunu yaşadıkları ve uygulamanın kelimeleri hatırlamalarını sağladığını belirtmişlerdir. Sonuç olarak, Kahoot!'un hedef dilde kelime öğretimi için kullanılabileceği ve bu alanda daha kapsamlı çalışmalar yapılabileceği önerilmektedir.